A South Sudanese national whose wife and five
children were allegedly granted refugee status in Uganda has asked the
government to help him reunite with his family.
Mr Makaya Modi, an official of the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army is challenging the manner in which his wife, Joyce Kade and
their five children gained the status.
“I brought my family to Uganda in 2001 to
help my children benefit from quality education and they have been living in a
permanent house in Kawempe- Ttula. She (Joyce) has been travelling to Juba to
get her salary because she is a soldier. How then can she qualify for a refugee
status in Uganda? Mr Modi asked.
Mr Modi told journalists in Kampala on Thursday
that he has never threatened violence or tortured his wife as she is alleging.
“I have been paying school fees to my
children until my wife; with influence from some people disappeared from our
home making my children suffer. I want authorities to intervene and help me
relocate my wife back home where we have to resolve the disagreement because
our culture dictates that in case of any dispute, elders must intervene,” Mr
Modi said.
This comes hardly a month after Mr Modi’s wife
accused him of mistreating her and the children forcing them out of their home.
Mr Modi has since sued the government and the State
Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru accusing the two
parties of hiding his wife and five children.
He is also seeking a court order to cancel his
wife’s refugee status arguing that the certificate that confirmed her as refugee
in Uganda was fraudulently issued .
Earlier, Mr Ecweru said the government would
investigate the alleged torture and illegal extradition of refugees to South
Sudan.
“I am going to involve the government machinery to
investigate these cases especially where local officers who are supposed to
protect our people are simply watching,” he said while responding to complaints
raised by Ms Kade.
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